Method and apparatus for shaping thermoplastic rods, tubes, and the like



March 19, 194i) E. G. LOOMIS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHAPING THERHOPLSTIQ RODS, TUBES, AND THE LIKE Filed June 26, 1931 .VMM VJ VVVVV VM vvv V INVENTOR .FZ/ar'ZS oomia TTORNEY Patented Mar. 19, 1940 METHOD AND APPARATUS FDR SHAPING THERMOPLASTIC RODS, TUBES, AND THE LIKE Evarts G. Loomis Newark, N. J.

I Application June 26, 1937, Serial No. 150,481)

12? Claims. (Cl. 18-5) This invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus and method for making thermoplastic rods,tubes and similar elongated elements and has for its object the provision of an apparatus and 6 method which will shape such rods and tubes speedily and effectively and whereby the outer surfaces of the rods, tubes and similar articles so produced, will be,brought accurately to the shape and dimensions required without waste, and also render them smooth and polished if desired, without requiring additional polishing operation's.

Most rods and tubing composed of thermoplastic materials of the cellulosic group are 18 formed either by extrusion methods or by being cut from blocks of the material while the mate'- rial is in a more or less soft state. rods or tubes are formed, shrinkage under change of temperature or by evaporation of solvents or for other reasons occurs and this tends to shrink, warp or distort the resultant article. Therefore, for more commercial purposes additional operations are required on the rod or tubes for the purpose of both straightening them out and bringing them within required uniform shape and dimensions. At the present time, this frequency means re-machining them, such remachining operation being had on lathes, rotary cutting tools, saws and grinders of various kinds. Such operations require labor, equipment cost and maintenance and a considerable loss of, material often cut away during the machining operations.

In the production of rods and tubes of thermoplastic materials, and particularly those of cellulosic nature, such articles as they leave the extruding or forming machinery, are, as previously stated, often irregular and distorted in shape. The surface of the rods and tubes are 40 rough and irregular and consequently one of the subsequent finishing operations required is one which will smooth and often also polish the outer surfaces of the same.- Such a turning or grinding operation requires not only the use of ex-- pensive machinery, but creates a substantial amount of waste of material. Material removed from the surfaces of the rods and tubes during a grinding operation becomes intermingled with the particles dislodged from the grinding wheels so and a separation of the powdered plastic material from particles of the grinding wheels beingimpossible, a recovery of the plastic material after the grinding operation has taken place cannot be had. Also in turning or cutting to form the outside surfaces of the rod or tube,

After the there is waste of scrap. Additionally, the'sharpening and adjusting of cutters which soon grow dull, is also a consideration.

The primary object of the invention therefore ,is to provide means for accurately forming and ,6

finishing the outer surfaces of. rods and tubes without the necessity of grinding or otherwise machining the surfaces of the same with frequently sharpening and resetting tools, thereby not only avoiding expensive waste of material, but producing the desired result more eflectively and p edily.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means by which the rod or tube to be shaped and polished is softened by the applica- 1' tion of a heated fluid and is chilled immediately as it passes through the forming and polishing operation, to thereby at once harden it in the formed shape and prevent the distortion or warping which occurs by irregular cooling after the shaping of a rod or tube of this character.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a die or dies disposed between tanks containing hot and cold liquids, and a means whereby rods, beading strips, sheets or tubes to be formed are drawn through the hot liquid and through the cold die or dies, and after passing through the die or dies, enters the cold liquid and is released from the die therein, where it remains until thoroughly cooled and hardened. Q0 The invention also contemplates the provision of means for drawing the rod or tubejthrough the die and releasing it to permit it to drop into the tank of cold liquid after it has been completely drawn through the die.

A further feature of-the invention consists of means for automatically closing the aperture through the die the instant the material being drawn through it has left it, thereby preventing the mixture of the hot fluid with the cold. .49

Another feature of the invention resides in the means by which the die is, while the device is in an inoperative condition, and at the completion of each drawing operation, elevated out of the heated fluid thus making it convenient to insert the reduced end of the next element to be drawn, into the entrance end of the die while the same is out of the heated fluid and also convenient for attaching the end of the element to the gripping means, said die while in its raised 1 position providing valve action for preventing mixture of the heated fluid with the cold.

These and other objects are accomplished by the invention, a more particular description of u which appears hereinafter and is set forth in the accompanying claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention is set forth, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus made in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a die and other elements utilized for the shaping and finishing of tubes.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, 5 indicates a supporting bracket which receives and holds one end of a cooling tank 6 containing cold water i or a similar cooling fluid. The tank 8 is supported at one end by the bracket 5 and at its opposite end by a bracket 8, both brackets being mounted upon a suitable supporting base, not shown. Bracket 5 is bolted to another bracket or shelf 9 which supports one end of a heating tank or shallow receptacle I0, having its other end supported in any suitable way. Tank l0 contains hot water H or other fluid heating medium maintained at a high temperature by means of the steam pipe l2 disposed at the bottom of the tank II or by any other suitable heating means. Located between the two tanks 6 and i0 is a vertically movable slide l3 secured to an insulating plate l4. In slide I3 is secured a tubular die l5 having its interior round, oval, square or of any other sectional form desired. The die i5 may have its inner wall surfaces grooved, highly polished, or

, of any desired finish, and is mounted in slide 13 and plate i4 so that its entrance opening I6 is directed toward the hot water tank l0 and is, in fact, located in said tank when the die is in its lowered position. The greater portion of the body of the die l5 beyond the tapered entrance is located within the cold water I of tank 6 and the egress end I! of the die is thus normally disposed in and surrounded by cold water I. Said cold water I surrounding the greater portion of die l5 maintains the body of the die at a low temperature and this result is aided by means of a pipe l8 located in tank 6 below the die l5 and perforated to direct a spray of cold water constantly against the die. In drawing thermoplastic material a serious difiiculty is caused by the poor thermoconductivity of such material. If the die through which the element .to be shaped is immersed in cold water, which contrary to air, is a good conductor and an ideal heat absorbent, the heat calories can be removed much more rapidly than the thermoplastic material can transmit them. Hence when the rod or other element to be shaped emerges with a chilled, set exterior into a cold'water bath, such set exterior is maintained and the thickness of such hard, set exterior increases inwardly toward the center of the element until the product is completely set in the desired form and dimensions and wholly without swelling or distortion.

The slide l3 has its lower end resting against the top of a coil spring l9 which is supported of bracket 4. A spring finger 20 forming a contact member of a switch is secured on the insulation 28, said finger being connected by wire Iii to the wiring of the electro-magnet. The finger 28 is located to receive the contact of a vertically movable stem II which is provided with a collar 22 against which spring 32 exerts an upward thrust to normally raise the stem 31' and hold it away from the finger 29. Stem 31 carries a shoe constituting a valve member, as well as a feeler 24 on its upper end and which remains in contact with the surface of the rod 26 of thermoplastic material, while the rod is being drawn through the die I! in the manner to be hereinafter explained. As long as the rod is being drawn through the die i5 and a portion of it is projecting out of the egress end I! of the die, the feeler 44 will be depressed by the rod 35 thereby causin the stem II to be held downward against the tension of spring 32, to hold lower end of stem 3| against the spring contact finger 28 in the position shown in Fig. 1. As soon as rod 35 has been completely drawn through the die 15, and leaves the die. spring 32 will force the stem 3| upward to thereby break contact between stem ii and spring finger 29, thus shutting off the flow of current to magnet 21. When this occurs, the holding effect of the magnet on finger 2B is released and the toggle will "break at pivot 23 permitting the spring H to elevate the slide l3 and raise die I! above the surface of the hot water in tank I I and the cold water 1 in tank 6. When stem 3| is elevated, the member 34 extends over and closes the egress end I! of the die, thereby preventing the hot water H from contacting or mixing with the cold water 1.

One end of the wiring of magnet 21 is connected by wire 36 to battery 39 or other source of current. The opposite side of the battery connects, by wire 40, to the bracket 5, which being of metal, electrically connects to the stem 3| as will be clearly understood. Thus, when stem II is in contact with finger 39 the magnet 21 will be energized.

The rod of thermoplastic material 35 to be drawn through the die I! in rough unfinished form is inserted in the entrance end I of the die while the slide I3 is in its raised position above the hot water H, thus permitting the rod to be manually inserted without requiring the insertion of the hand into the hot water. One end of the rod 35 manually thrust through the die i5 is previously slightly reduced to enable said end portion of it to be manually projected out of the egress end ll of the die for engagement by a clamp 4| secured on the end of a piston rod 42, the opposite end of said rod being connected to piston 43 mounted for reciprocation in a cylinder 44. The clamp 4| is provided with an operating handle 46 having a cam-shaped end which depresses a spring-pressed plunger 41 within the clamp to cause it to grip the end of the rod 35 and hold it. The edge of the tank 6 is provided with an adjustable stop 48 which, when the rod 35 has been completely drawn through die '5, contacts with handle 48 and throws it to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, to disengage the clamp from the end of the rod 35 allowing the rod to fall down into the tank 6. Piston 43 attached to rod 42 is reciprocated in cylinder 44 by hydraulic means. A housing 49 secured on one end of the cylinder contains the passages for the hydraulic fluid which enters into one end of the cylinder to force the piston in one direction, and at another time enters into the opposite end of the cylinder to force piston 43 in a reverse direction. The entrance passage for the hydraulic fluid into the housing 49 is indicated at 50, said fluid then passing into a manifold portion 5| in the housing, wherein a slidevalve 52 is located. Valve 52 is secured to a stem 53 projecting out of housing 43 and attached to' a spider 54, slidable in bracket Band also slidable on the rod 42..

Said spider 54 is formed with a projecting arm 55 to which a link or rod 51 is pivoted at 58, said link having its opposite end pivoted at 58 to an operating handle 59, having its lower end pivoted on one of the side portions of bracket 5. Stem 53 is provided with a head 60 adapted to be held by a magnet 31 against the tension of spring 5| surrounding stem 53. When the stem is so held by the magnet 31 the valve 52 is then covering passage 62- leading from chamber 5| and communicating, through pipe 63, with the right-hand end of cylinder 44, when viewed as in Fig. 1, said valve at the same time covering the waste passage 64. (See Fig. 1.)

fluid entering through entrance passage 50 will enter manifold 5| and thence'proceed througha passage 55 past needle valve 55 into passage 55a and then into the left end of cylinder 44 to force piston 43 toward the right, causing the rod of thermoplastic material 35 to be drawn through the die I5 and to the right as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It is desirable to move the rod 35 through die I5 at a relatively slow rate of speed-and for this reason, the flow of hydraulic fluid through passages 65 and 65a to the left end of cylinder 44 is governed or regulated by means of the needle valve 65. As the fluid is entering the left end of cylinder 44, the fluid in the cylinder to the right of the piston 43 is forced out through passage 53 and through communicatingpassage 52 through the waste outlet 54.

One end of magnet 31 connects to the battery or other source of current by the wire-38, the other end thereof being connected by wire I50 to a contact member |5| secured on the strip of insulation I52. A circuit-closing member I53 is attached at the end of an arm I54 which extends under tank 6 and has its upper end pivotally connected to an arm I55 secured on a rocking shaft I56 mounted in bracket 8 and also in the stop- 48. Shaft I56 is keyed and receives a weighted finger I58 which can be moved back and forth longitudinally of said shaft as the stock 43 is. moved, but since it is keyed on said shaft it will impart a rocking movement to the shaft as it is raised by contact with a cam surface I51 formed at the end of clamp member 4|. Thus. when cam surface I51 engages under the end of finger 158, it lifts the finger, causing shaft I55 to be rocked thereby causing arm I 54 to move circuit-closing member I53 away from the contact |5| to break circuit to magnet 31. When the circuit to magnet 31 is broken, and magnet 31 releases the head 50 of rod 53, the spring 6| will force valve 52 to the right to cause it to uncover passage 62 and cover the passages 65 and 64.- Now, fluid entering through the inlet 50 and into manifold chamber 5| will pass through passage 62 and tube 63 and into the right end of cylinder 44 toexert pressure against the top of piston 43 to force rod 42 to the left. As passage 52 is unimpeded, the pressure of the hydraulic fluid will force the piston 43 to the left much more rapidly than when the piston is forced to the right while drawing the tube 35 through die I5. The hydraulic fluid then located to the energized at this time.

left of piston, is during this operation, forced out of the cylinder through passage 51 and into passage 55 and finally out through the waste passage 64. A check valve 58 is located In passage 61, this valve closing passage 51 when hydraulic fluid is entering through passage 65 and opening passage 51 when fluid to the left of piston 43 is being forced out of the cylinder through passage 51 and finally to the waste passage 64.

Briefly, the operation of the apparatus is as follows:

In itsposition of rest when there is no-rod' to be shaped in position in the die, the feeler 34 is in a raised position by action of spring 33, said feeler also at this time closing egress end "of the die. The rod 3| is thus out of contact with finger 29 so that the magnet 21 is not Consequently spring |3 raises the slide l3 which holds the die raised above the level of the hot water II in tank III. While the die is in that raised position, the operator inserts the reduced end of the roughly formed thermoplastic rod through the die until the end protrudes for a short distance from the egress end I1 of the die. Clamp 41 is at this time located at the egress end of the die and it is manually operated to cause it to engage the protruding end of the thermoplastic rod. As the die is in a raised position at this time, rod 42 on which the clamp is secured, is on account of its length quite flex- -ible and is readily sprung slightly upwardly to en- 1 55 is swung to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, this action'ten'ding to move the spider 54 in the same direction, causing it to move stem 53 against the tension of spring 5| and bring the head 50 on the stem into contact with the energized magnet 31 which holds the stem. When the stem 53 is so held by the magnet, passage 55 is open and the flow of hydraulic fluid entering through inlet 50 will pass from manifold 5| through passage 65 past needle valve 55, into passage 55a and then into the left end of the cylinder and will force the piston 43 to the right. Since the needle valve will regulate the flow of the fluid into the cylinder, the speedat which the piston is moved can be regulated so that the piston can be made to move relatively slowly and the thermoplastic rod 35 drawn slowly through the die l5. When the rod 35 has been drawn completely through the die, the handle 45 strikes the stop 48, said stop being positioned according to the length of the rod to be drawn through the die, and the clamp 4| releases its grip on the end of the thermoplastic rod, which is at once ejected from the clamp by means of the spring 98, located within the clamp and against which on the clamp engages finger I58 and lifts it thereby breaking circuit to the magnet 31.

When the thermoplastic rod is thus released from the die and clamp and falls away from the same, feeler 34 springs upwardly, thus breaking circuit to the magnet 21, causing slide l3 to be elevated to carry the die upwardly and out of the hot and cold water and closing the egress opening I I of the die. Since the action of cam surface I51 has caused magnet 31 to release stem 53, said stem slides to the right to uncover passage 62 and cover passage 65 to reverse direction of movement of the piston 43 in cylinder 44. The flow of hydraulic fluid may now move unimpeded through passage 83 against the right end of piston 43 and the fluid at the left end of said piston may be similarly speedily ejected through passage 61, and the return movement of clamp 4| to a position near the egress end of the die I5 is accomplished at a greater speed than the drawing of the rod took place. It will be noted that the body of the thermoplastic rod 35, while being drawn slowly through die I5, is located in the hot water I I so that the body of the rod while being fed to the die is. softened by this application of heat. The greater part of the die is chilled or cooled and as the rod is shaped by being drawn through the die, it is thus cooled not only by the die itself. but by being moved through the body of cold water I in tank 5. The rod after having been drawn completely through the die may remain in the cold water for any desired period of time and until completely cold and it will be found that this avoids distortion in the finished product. The inner surfaces of the die I5 may be highly polished or given any desired shape or finish in section and consequently the rod 35 when drawn through the die will not only be of uniform diameter but will be provided with the dimensions, shape and finish of the die as required throughout its length so that the usual turning, grinding or other operations necessary to produce a finished surface in the product are quite unnecessary.

In Fig. 3 is shown a means for drawing tubes through the die I 5 as distinguished from the solid rod disclosed at 35 in Fig. 1. When a tube is to drawn. it is first mounted upon a mandrel shown at 99 in Fig. 3. The mandrel is in the form of a metal rod having a tapered end I which permits it to be inserted through the roughly shaped thermoplastic rod IIII The mandrel 99 is formed with an annular recess I02 into which the end of the tube IOI, while in a relatively soft condition, is turned over as shown at I03 in Fig. 3. The mandrel may also be provided with a projecting part I04 terminating in the head I05 which is engaged by a gripper. The gripper may comprise a pair of pivotally connected jaws I06 and I0'I, provided with a spring I08 which tends to hold the ends of the jaws together to engage over the head I 05 of mandrel 99 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The gripper I06 is mounted in yoke 'I I0 secured on the end of piston rod 42. In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the inner end of the spider 54 is provided with inclined surfaces III and H2 which contact with the free ends of the jaws I01 and I08 causing the opposite ends of the jaws to be spread apart to thereby release their engagement on the head I05 of the mandrel 99. This occurs at the time when the entire tube IOI has been drawn through the die so that upon the release of the end of the mandrel in the manner explained, the mandrel and tube will fall down into the bottom of' tank 6 and be cooled by the cold water I therein. After the tube has been thoroughly cooled, it is removed from the mandrel by breaking away the inturned portion I03 so that it can he slid from the mandrel.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the rod or tube being formed is softened by means of the hot water and is immediately cooled as fast as it is drawn through die I5 by the cold water in tank 6. By this method of forming the rod or tube, the rod or tube becomes set and hardened on its exterior and remains so as it is drawn, whereby the distortion and irregularity in shape generally found in tubes of this character is com pletely eliminated and the finished drawn tube possesses the shape, diameter and a finished, smooth exterior surface, or it can be grooved or have any other exterior desired to correspond to the form and surface of the interior of the die.

The same idea of means may be used in a similar manner and principle to produce beading, rectangular, polygonal, grooved, curved, strip, sheet, or any other cross sectional form of thermoplastic element. The particular form so produced is dependent merely upon the internal shape of the die or dies employed. The dies employed may be used in group formation or in gangs, as will be clearly understood.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle containing a heated fluid, a receptacle containing a cold. fluid, a die having its mouth' disposed in the heated fluid and its body portion and egress end disposed in the cold fluid, a gripping member. for engaging the end of a thermoplastic rod or tube projecting out of the egress end of the die, means for moving the gripping member away from the die to cause it to draw the rod or tube through the die, means for releasing the gripping member from engagement with the rod or tube when the rod or tube has been drawn through the die, and means for moving the gripping member to a position near the die after it has released its engagement with the rod or tube.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle containing a heated fluid, a receptacle containing a cooling fluid, a die having its mouth disposed in the heated fluid and its egress end disposed in the cooling fluid, means for moving the die out of both fluids to permit the insertion of a rod or tube in the mouth end of the die, gripping means for engaging aportion of the rod or tube projecting from the egress end of the die, means for moving said gripping means away from the die to cause said means to draw the rod or tube through the die to thereby shape it and simultaneously finish the outer surface of it, means for releasing the gripping means from the rod or tube when the rod or tube has been drawn through the die, whereby the rod or tube will remain in the cooling fluid.

3. In an apparatus of the character described. a hot water tank, a cold water tank, a die located between the two tanks and situated with its mouth in the hot water tank and its egress end in the cold water tank, means for elevating the die above the water in the tanks, a gripping element for engaging a rod or tube and drawing it through the die, means for moving the gripping element to and from the die, means for disengaging the gripping element from the rod or tube after it has drawn the rod or tube through the die, to thereby cause the rod or tube to remain in the cold water tank, means for causing the gripping means to reverse its direction of movement with respect to the die, said last mentioned means being controlled by the rod or tube moving through the die.

4. In an apparatus oi the character described, a tank containing a heated fluid, a tank containing a cold fluid, a die located between the tanks and having its entrance end directed toward, the heated fluid tank and its egress end directed toward the cooling fluid tank and located therein during the drawing operation, and means for drawing a rod, tube, or similar preshaped elongated section oi thermoplastic mate rial through the die from the tank containing the heated fluid directly and progressively into the tank containing the cold fluid.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a fluid heating tank for heating a rod, tube or similar article to be shaped, means for cooling said article after having been shaped, a die located to receive the article to be shaped directly from the heating means, said die having its egress end situated to deliver the shaped article directly from said end to the cooling means as the article progressively emerges from the die, means ior drawing the article through the die, and means for causing said drawing means to release the article while in the cooling means after it has drawn the article through the die.

6. In an apparatus of the character described,

heating and cooling tanks containing hot and cold liquid respectively, a drawing die disposed between the tanks and having its entrance end,

located in the hot liduid and its egress end located in the cold liquid, means for engaging a rod, tube or similar elongated thermoplastic element at the egress end oi the die and drawing it through the die from the hot liquid to the cold.

liquid, means for causing the die to be moved out of the hot and cold liquid instantly when the element has been released by the drawing means and has passed out oi the egress end of the die, and means for releasing said elementdrawing means from its engagement with the element and'into the cold liquid after it has drawn the element through the die.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, heating and cooling tanks containing hot and cold liquids respectively, a die disposed between the tanks, said die when in operation having its entrance end disposed in the heating tank and its egress end located in the cooling tank, a gripping element for engaging the end oi a rod, tube or similar elongated thermoplastic element at the egress end oi the die and drawing. it through the die means for moving said gripping element away from the die to cause the element gripped by it to be drawn through the die, ieeler means engaging the thermoplastic element at the egress end of the die while said element is being drawn through the die, and means connected to said ieeler means for raising said die aperture above the liquids, and means for reversing the plastic element has been completely drawn, through the die and has moved out of the same.

and out of contact with the feeler means. 8. In an apparatus of the character described,

a drawing die located between a hot and cold fluid medium, means for holding said not and cold media the die having one end disposed in the hot medium and the opposite end disposed in the cold medium while a thermoplastic material is being drawn through said die so that the thermoplastic material emerging from the die enters directly and progressively into the cold medium, means for moving the die out oi the hot and cold media as soon as the thermoplastic material leaves the egress end of the die, and a ieeler mechanism for controlling the operation of said means, said ieeler mechanism being controlled by the material as it passes through the die.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, means for containing hot and cold fluids, a die located between said hot and cold fluids while thermoplastic material is passing through said,

die, feeler-controlled means for moving the die out oi the fluids as soon as the thermoplastic material leaves the egress end of said die, and means for causing the feeler to close one end of the die as soon as the thermoplastic material is passed out of said end.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, means for containlnghot and cold fluids, a drawing die for thermoplastic material mounted with its entrance end in the heated iiuid and its exit end in the cold fluid, said die being located under the level of said hot and cold fluids, a support for said die constituting a division and an insulating separator between the two fluids, and

means for automatically raising the die above the fluids as soonv as the thermoplastic material has passed out of the egress end oi the die into the cold fluid.

11. The method of shaping and surfacing thermoplastic rods and tubes of celluloslc nature comprising, moving a rod or tube to be accurately shaped and surfaced through a, hot medium to soiten the same, moving said heated rod or tube through the heated entrance of a metal die and through a cold egress end of said die and progressively through a cold fluid medium as it emerges from the die.

12. The method of shaping and accurately sur iacing' thermoplastic rods, tubes or other-elements comprising, moving a rod, tube or other element to be shaped through hot liquid, drawing it through the hot entrance and into a coldbodied metal die, and delivering it directly and progressively from the egress end oi the die into 

